November’s a wash. Come on, December!

Okay, so posting in November’s officially a lost cause.  Things have been pretty crazy with work.  I’m not sure how the first couple of weeks of December are going to fare, but we’re making our annual pilgrimage to The Motherland for Christmas and I have hope for holiday blogging.

I hope you all had a very wonderful Thanksgiving that included life’s three best F words: family, friends, and food.  And now we’re officially into the holiday season—decorations, music, and even more food.  What a great time of the year!

Is it November already?!

I don’t know where October went.  It was a busy month of work, giant meetings, Oktoberfests, roller derby, parties, races, cheese-stealing, Transformers movie shoots, and a few scary moments in DC.  But… there are 31 days in October still, right?

 

I currently have 272 pictures on my camera, most of which involve Alice.  Hopefully I’ll catch up with the stories this month (in particular, the cheese thievery).  Until then, I’ll leave you with one picture.

 

This past Sunday was the Marine Corps Marathon and 10K.  I really love this race.  The Human Male and I did it last year, but we didn’t sign up in time for this year’s run (the 10K.  Neither of us are marathoners yet/ever).  We did the Army Ten Miler a week ago and I was reminded how fun and motivating it is to see dogs along the side of the course, so we dressed up Alice in her Halloween finest (she went as a Fall Fashion Plate this year) and took her over to cheer on runners.

 

I’m really glad we did.  We parked ourselves just past the Mile 23 marker in the Crystal City neighborhood at a place where the course looped in time to cheer on the 10K runners (its course the last 6.2 miles of the Marathon course) and we saw a lot of smiles and heard several “Look at the dog!”s.  You could tell a few of the runners really needed the boost right then.  One girl actually stopped running to pet Alice.  She’s a pug owner.  :)

 

We sat around for a little while to drink coffee (we parked ourselves between a Cosi and a Caribou Coffee semi-intentionally), shake our cowbells, and watch the handbike marathoners and the lead marathon runners.  The runners began trickling in, and about 10 minutes after the first runners, we saw the first female runner (Janet Cherobon).  She torched a couple of the guys and as she passed our spot, a group of 30-50 year old ladies a few feet down started cheering and yelling “Run, girl!  Run!”  It was so cute.  I noticed one of the ladies had a stroller with her little daughter.  It was one of those moments when I just felt so good to be part of the girl club.

 

Alice was interested in the runners at first and stared at them, craning her neck to figure out why they were running and she wasn’t and what the people yelling, banging on pots, and ringing their cowbells on the other side of the course were doing (and if they had treats).  She then found herself a warm spot on the street and laid down to watch the runners pass by.

 

We stayed to cheer on some of the sub-4 hour marathoners and headed home.  Along the way, we passed a few other spectating dogs.  Two were too cute not to post.

 

Hope all is well with everyone!

Off topic, but a relevant issue in the Alice Palace.

A few months ago, The Human Male made the suggestion of dumping the cable and going to internet-based TV.  His argument was that most of what we watched was online—and what wasn’t, we could get off of iTunes.  The Human Male’s one of those “up on technology” guys, so I thought it was his attempt to be cutting edge and cool.  I didn’t see much point, since it would require buying a ton of new equipment (my TV was circa Time when in-set VCRs were High Tech), and we don’t watch much TV to begin with.  Plus I love the DVR—all the shows I want, automatically in one place, and I can watch them whenever I want.  It’s like having all your entertainment chicks in one basket.

 

And then I stumbled across the cable bill.

 

In our house, we divide the bills—The Human Male pays cable and internet, and I do water and electric.  I thought it was even.  I was very, very wrong.

 

What happened is that over a year ago, we decided the bill was too pricey for how much TV we watched, so we got rid of the super-duper digital cable and went down to basic digital.  It took a giant chunk off our bill, and we didn’t miss the channels at all.  But it ends up that the price I thought we were paying was a special  deal.  So when the year was up, we got the “pleasure of being a long-time customer” increase.  Which ended up being $30 MORE than what we were paying for the special channels we got rid of.

 

I. WENT. BALLISTIC.  Honestly, I thought The Human Male had missed a bill, it was so high.  But no.  Apparently what I thought was his effort to be technocool was actually an attempt to save well over $1,000 a year.  Considering we could get everything we needed and still have a ton of money left over for that price, cable was dead to me instantly.

 

That weekend, we bought a new, high-tech TV and started planning our switch to internet-only.  We signed up for Netflix, started researching antennas, and talked about getting a video game system so we could access Hulu Plus/Netflix without having to hook up my computer (it’s very important during football season that I have access to some form of entertainment that’s not football related).  Over the past month, we’ve gotten a pretty good set-up.

 

Except that I’ve discovered a problem.  A BIG one.

 

I’ve had some problems using the video game controller (which works as a remote for it).  Apparently there’s a button on the back that pauses things.  So if you go and set it down, it pauses.  You pick it up and press play and it’s fine, but the second you set it down again, pause.  I didn’t know this until I started crying because I couldn’t get a show I really wanted to watch (and was bumped off the DVR the night before for some stupid boy show) to play, and The Human Male had to sit me down like a preschooler and explain the technology to me (he also may have given me a cookie to calm down).

 

I thought after he showed me that that I’d be able to use the box, no problem.  So today, a half-work-from-home/half-vacation Friday, I thought I’d throw on some girl shows and listen to them as I went about the day.  I clicked on the right source and hit the video game console’s on button—only to find that it was already on (machines being left on is a HUGE pet peeve of mine).  So I look at the screen, and there’s no picture.  Just a message saying that the TV won’t play that resolution, and to change it.

 

Okay, what?  What’s actually wrong, and how do I change it? 

 

I figure it has something to do with it being left on all night, so I turn it off.  And I turn the TV off.  And then I cut off both power sources.  I unplug things and replug them in.  I try games, DVDs, the Netflix disc.  Nothing.  Same stupid, idiotic, vague message.

 

And then I realized what happened: my TV was set up in Malevision.

 

I think women know what this is—where you try to use your TV, DVD player, or satellite and you find you need a Y chromosome to figure out which series of buttons you need to hit—and in what magic order—to get the thing to work.  I feel like I’ve been cautious in preventing this—I know my parents’ bedroom TV is set up in Malevision and there’s a TV show on every once in a while about the subject.  I’m aware of the issue and vigilant, and feel like I lived alone long enough to identify when things are about to Go Boy.  For example, when The Human Male was trying to figure out which antenna would work best, he devised a “radio tower” that consisted of one of our counter stools (from the opposite end of the apartment) placed in front of our bedroom door, with our patio door opened and the antenna cord stretched wide.  When I said there was no way that was going to fly, he picked it up and held the antenna over his head, then turned hopefully to the TV.  I kicked him out of the house after that.  Anyway, I feel like I’m good at spotting when things are about to go nonsensical to anyone with two X chromosomes, and yet, here I am.

 

To you ladies out there, have you had this happen?  How did you fix it?  At the very least, can you tell me how to turn on the TV?  And is there any recourse I can take except to load up the Netflix queue with the girliest movies known to mankind?  And do you have suggestions for titles?

Shana gets her bandana.

It’s been a trying few weeks in DC’s dog community.  There’s a lot of fear over if our dogs are safe in our streets since Parrot’s shooting (and another in-home police shooting of a dog shortly after).  There’s anger over what happened.  There’s cynicism if anything will be done about it.  And of course, there’s sadness over what was done.

 

A recent posting on Parrot’s memorial blog was from one of his event handlers.  Her tribute to him breaks my heart every time I’ve read it.  This boy beat all the odds: he beat a rough start and a kill shelter.  He was rescued, saved, looking for his home.  He was supposed to be in the clear.  And yet, this happened.  After everything he’d been through, he died at a festival.  Someplace that should’ve been fun and safe.

 

I’ll admit it, it’s been  easy to feel blue over this.  I’ve gotten weepy a number of times over Parrot.  I’ve actually felt a little guilty for what happened to him—I’m part of the species who gave him a rough start and ended his life.  And I feel guilty and angry that it happened on my home turf.  It’s irrational, but the feeling’s there.  He didn’t deserve what happened to him.  He didn’t get the chance to have a long, happy life that he deserved.

 

But a few days ago, the endlessly and wonderfully cheery Dawn of Lydia and Pugs retweeted something from the Ellen Show that gave me a good little “Aha!” moment.  Ellen was commenting on a news report of a dog who was dragged behind a truck and was—thankfully—recuperating.  Linking to the report, she wrote “As an animal lover, this story broke my heart. As a human, it makes me want to help. You can help, too.”

 

My goodness, what a wonderful reminder that we can compartmentalize.  As a dog lover, DC resident, and human, Parrot breaks my heart.  As a dog lover, DC resident, and human, it’s my job to act and support the things that will work to make sure this never happens again, not on our watch.

 

The letters will continue to be sent to the police (who responded to mine with not the typical form letter that went out) and to the soon-to-be mayor (DC’s current one never responded—and then lost his primary two days after the shooting.  Coincidence?), the donations to preventing animal cruelty and breed discrimination will continue to be made.  And the successes towards making this place world safer and more secure for all dogs will be celebrated.

 

The first item on that list?  Shana.

 

Shana’s an American Bulldog (a great breed—our neighbors just got one named Roxy and she’s the keeeeee-youtest character) and the first of “Parrot’s Pals”—dogs who are rescued using funds from the Parrot Fund.  She was rescued in South Carolina just days after Parrot’s death and arrived less than a week later. 

 

At events, Lucky Dogs wear green bandanas.  In the early pictures before she arrived, Shana was wearing a red polka-dotted one.  In more recent photos, Shana has a green one.

 [There are more pictures of her on Petfinder.  Please go view her page and share it.]

It’s bittersweet and heartwarming.  That look of hope and happiness in her eyes makes genuinely want her to have the all the toys, treats, beds, love, snuggles, tennis balls thrown, adventures, and years that the world can offer.

 

So very , very much so.

Happiness is…

A couple of weekends ago, Alice, the Human Male, and I decided to have breakfast at Founders Park in Old Town, one of my very favorite places in the world. 

 

The thing that I love most about Founders Park is that it’s everyone’s park.  Every person that walks by, every bench they sit on, every spot on the lawn where they throw a blanket, is theirs.  And yours.  I don’t know quite how to express it in words, but if you ever end up there, you’ll understand.  It belongs to everyone.

 

That feeling isn’t limited to people.  As The Human Male and I sat on our regular bench, we noticed a black lab that was play in the grass behind us.  His owner had let him off his leash (while not fenced in, it’s considered the “dog” part of the park) and he was playing in the sprinklers.  He bounced through them, tried to bite the water stream, and rolled around on the soppy ground.

 

I can’t think of the last time I saw such pure joy.

 

 

Surf's Up!

Free Kibble's linking to this super cute article and videos on a surfing dog competition today.  Worth a read and a watch.  The bottom video has lots of cute surfing pugs, and Abbie's winning move (which is pretty fantastic) starts around minute 9.

Barrel Oak Winery.

The Sunday of Labor Day weekend, Alice, The Human Male, and I went to the Barrel Oak Winery.  It's located in Delaplane, Virginia, about 55 miles outside of DC.  I'd originally heard about BOW a year or so ago from a Kissable Canine newsletter about dog-friendly places around the area.  More recently, I'd heard about rescue fundraising events being held there.  After finding out they were having an island-themed celebration, we decided it was time to check it out.

It was so much fun.  There were dogs everywhere-- in photos in the bathroom, playing all over the lawn, sitting at the tasting bar, even sitting on a stool inside.

Alice wore her finest lei to the party.

We tried some samples of the wine, which were unbelievably fantastic-- I highly recommend the Seyval Blanc and Traminette.  The Human Male and I ordered some wine, sangria, and some snacks, then went and sat on the lawn to admire the view.

All around, Barrel Oak is a wonderful, wonderful place.  It was dog-friendly, kid-friendly, family-friendly, person who could use a glass of wine and escape from life for a couple hours-friendly.  I'm so excited to go back!

Found/Missing/Found/Missing: A Tree!

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree on the blog before.  By our house we have a planter that had a sad looking pine tree in it.  Since the day we moved in two years ago, the tree has been losing more and more needles.  We thought it actually made it through our Snowmageddons, but it quickly went downhill early this spring.  By the beginning of June, there were seriously only about five needles left on it.  The rest were on our patio.


One Work-at-Home Friday in May or June, I heard some people talking in our courtyard.  It was a couple of people from our front office and a guy who seemed to know a lot about landscaping.  They fawned over some trees in other planters, then walked over to ours and said matter-of-factly, "So, this one's dead."


I immediately texted The Human Male to let him know that we were finally getting a new tree.


I took one last picture with Charlie Brown:

While I was in Portland, they removed it:

And then they put in a new one:

After a couple of weeks, we noticed that New Tree wasn't doing so well.  Shortly afterward, we found a very similar yet healthier one in its place.

The tree seems to still be doing okay (although the sprinkler system in the planter went berserk this weekend and now shoots a 10 foot flood of water against our patio door at 3:30 in the morning).  It's losing some leaves, but I don't know if that's a sign of trouble or Autumn.  Fingers crossed this one holds up!

Dogs + IKEA stuff = The Best Song You’ll Hear this Week.

I heard some rumblings this week about the new OK Go video.  OK Go is a band from Chicago (all the best ones are!) that writes ridiculously catchy songs and are known for their wildly creative videos that tend to be done in one take.  I’m way too old to care about music videos, but I still get stupid excited when a new one comes out. 

 

I thought their last two videos (This Too Shall Pass and End Love) were spectacular and hard to top.  Alas, they managed:

 

Three and a half minutes of dogs and stuff from IKEA.

 

There’s so much to love about this.  My favorite parts are the high shelves, the rainbow boards, the red stools, and the high-five dog.  And I’d be remiss if I didn’t say I oogle over those round desk chairs each and every time I go to IKEA.

 

And did you notice the screen at the end?    Most of the dogs in the video were rescues, and the band is donating a portion of the proceeds from their video downloads to the ASPCA (here’s their posting on the video).  How cool is that?

 

I’m hoping that they’ll soon expand it out to the song or album.  Like I said, I’m old and don’t have too much use for videos, but I do like a good beat that I can bug out to now and again.

The Best Kind of News.

Remember last January when Then Human Male and I met Matt Damon?  The Lost Dog and Cat Rescue announced today that he was adopted this weekend! 

 

So, so much happiness!  Matt’s such an awesome, charming boy.  I’m so incredibly excited that he’s been adopted.  That is one tremendously lucky family.

 

Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m the teeeeensiest bit sad.  The Human Male and I had several discussions (or potentially I talked at him and he was in the room) about adopting him.  I really wanted him.  But honestly, Matt wasn’t our dog—his family was out there, and now they’re finally together.

 

Welcome home, Matt Damon!